Try plugging in usb cord and let the unit enter mass-storage mode. Unplug connector and wait for it to start rebooting and then plug the connector back in. Second time, it boots as normal, and charges from USB as well.

This works so far on a 350 and 650 hope it will work on others. Hint: The 350 was far more sesitive about when you plug back in. Basically as soon as you see the computer icon on the Nuvi screen disappear--plug back in immediately. If you delay you will be right back in mass storage mode.

I don't know if this will work for your model, but on the 650, if I use the Garmin usb cable to connect to my Mac, it mounts the Nuvi and the SD card as external devices. If I connect the Nuvi to the Mac using another usb cable, the Nuvi comes on and behaves as a gps. So I surmise that the Garmin usb cable, with its little tin can holding a circuit board, is what allows the computer to see it as an external device and does not allow it to be operational as a gps

I can use the 650 in my car with a third party usb cable and auto to usb adapter.

For what it's worth, I tried method #2 on my Nuvi 260. It does work, but immediately afterwards the battery would not charge even when connected to the Garmin car charger. (Until then, I'd *never* had any problem with the unit.)

I went into the diagnostic menu (hold down the area where the battery icon is located) and it showed an NTC battery fault, whatever that is. The only way I could restore normal charging was to CLR Checksums and run the full diagnostic routine. Then, the battery status was reset to normal and the unit did resume charging normally using the Garmin charger.

So, I'd advise some caution trying to "fool" the Nuvi 2xx series into working as a GPS when connected via a USB cable to a computer.

I have tried the formal step-by-step method described early on in this thread, via the lock and unlock screen modes, with and without my (in the 880's case) micro SD card in, have tried different approaches in the continuous PC settings and booted up my PC afresh -- tried everything really, including the plug/unplug method -- and met with unsuccessful results in attempting to get the regular navigational/all features screen(s) without an AC adapter or battery operation (e.g., w/USB cable only) on my Nuvi 880.

Boot the Nuvi and let it go into USB mode (GPS-Computer Icon on lower center of the screen).Pull the USB cable out of the Nuvi.When the Nuvi begins to reboot (series 7 message appears where the GPS-Computer Icon was on the screen) immediately plug the USB cable back in to the Nuvi.

If you plugged the cable in in time the Nuvi will boot up in GPS mode. At this point you can shut the Nuvi off and the Charging message will appear on the screen just like it was plugged into an AC adapter.

Hello, I have a nuvi 865t and neither of the 2 techniques doesn't works

I even had a third solution and that is to enter the test menu ( pressing the battery icon ~8 sec) and then plug in the usb cable. This way the nuvi doesn't enters the usb mode and then you just exit frm that menu and all work great, well this doesn't work on my nuvi 865t, it just enters usb mode, worked on nuvi 760 and nuvi 250W

Any ideas on how to use the nuvi 865, or 8x5 series while plugged to computer?

Method 1 works great on my 260. For my 1370 (TWN) and I assume the newer 1xxx series too, safely remove hardware (left click) works on Windows XP. For Vista, simply put the computer in the sleep mode causes my 1370 to reboot into the navigation mode. The latest revision of firmware added a choice that allows you to choose which mode you would like the 1xxx to be in.

I just use the usb charger from my mp3 player that plugs in to the wall. When you first plug it in, it looks like it's in PC mode, but after a few seconds it goes in to navigation mode. It aalso does a great job charging my 885T quickly.

On my Nuvi 760 (Software version 4.80) both method 1 and method 2 work OK but only if the Garmin Lock is OFF. When it is ON, the trouble is that in order to enter the PIN, I have to move the switch back to the centre position and the unit goes back into mass storage mode.

However, all is not lost because freestyler's "third solution" works for me regardless of whether Garmin Lock is ON or OFF.

My former nuvi 760 used to freeze when I exited from the test menu, it was stucking on the loading os, thus the third solution wasn't working, I had version 4.90, but also with the 4.80 did the same, it only worked with the 2.70 firmware that came with the unit, and that is the case with 2 nuvi 760 units

Anyway, any other ideeas on how tu use my 865t while plugged to pc, except wall charger